The North Dakota Music Hall of Fame proudly inducts Alf Clausen, a distinguished film and television composer best known for his work on the iconic animated series The Simpsons. Clausen, whose career spans several decades, has made significant contributions to the world of music, scoring for numerous films and television shows, and earning numerous awards and nominations along the way.
Early Life, Family, and Education
Alf Faye Heiberg Clausen was born on March 28, 1941, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and raised in Jamestown, North Dakota. From a young age, Clausen was drawn to music, inspired by composer Henry Mancini and his book Sounds and Scores. He began playing the French horn in the seventh grade, learned piano, and sang in his high school choir. His passion for music led him to learn the bass guitar, ultimately deciding to focus on music rather than mechanical engineering during his studies at North Dakota State University.
After switching his major to musical theory, Clausen took a correspondence course at Boston’s Berklee College of Music in jazz and big band writing. He later attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison but left due to its “anti-jazz” attitude, eventually graduating from Berklee with a diploma in arranging and composition in 1966. Clausen was the first French horn player to attend Berklee, participating in many ensembles and appearing on several Jazz in the Classroom albums.
Career
After college, Clausen worked as a musician and taught at Berklee for a year. In 1967, he moved to Los Angeles, California, aspiring to become a full-time television composer. Over the next nine years, Clausen undertook various jobs, including arranging for singers, ghostwriting, composing commercial jingles, and working as a teacher, music copyist, and bassist.
Clausen eventually became a score writer and later the music director and conductor for Donny & Marie between 1976 and 1979. He also held the same role on The Mary Tyler Moore Hour in 1979. Clausen’s work on the series Moonlighting from 1985 to 1989 earned him several Emmy nominations, and he was also the composer for ALF from 1986 to 1990.
Other television compositions included Wizards and Warriors, Fame, Lime Street, Christine Cromwell, and My Life and Times. Clausen also provided music for television films and worked as a conductor and additional music provider for films such as The Beastmaster, Airplane II: The Sequel, Splash, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Dragnet, and The Naked Gun.
The Simpsons and Other Work
Following the conclusion of ALF, Clausen joined The Simpsons in 1990 as the sole composer, scoring nearly every episode through the end of the 28th season in 2017. His first episode was “Treehouse of Horror” in season two, and he continued to score for the show until 2017 after the episode “Dogtown”. Even then, Clausen continued to work for the show as a composer emeritus and was rehired in 2022.
Clausen conducted a 35-piece orchestra for the show’s music, a rarity in television, and created scores that spanned a wide range of musical styles. Clausen’s work on The Simpsons earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards and numerous nominations, as well as five Annie Awards. His work on the show has been released on three albums: Songs in the Key of Springfield (1997), Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons (1999), and The Simpsons: Testify (2007).
In addition to his work on The Simpsons, Clausen scored The Critic and Bette, as well as the 1998 film Half Baked. He also recorded the album Swing Can Really Hang You Up The Most in 2003, showcasing his jazz orchestra arrangements.
Awards and Nominations
Alf Clausen’s illustrious career has earned him numerous accolades, including:
- 2 Emmy Awards
- 27 Emmy nominations
- 5 Annie Awards
- 3 Annie nominations
- 3 International Monitor Awards
- Grammy and CLIO nominations
- Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Berklee College of Music
- Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from North Dakota State University
- Alumnus Recognition Award from Berklee College of Music
- “One of Top 50 Alumni” Award from Berklee College of Music
- Alumni Achievement Award from North Dakota State University
- The “1:00 O’Clock” Award from North Texas State University
- Two National Endowment For The Arts Composition Fellowship Grants
- 7 ASCAP Popular Awards For Music Composition
- Several ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
Personal Life
Clausen’s son, Scott, is also a composer. In April 2020, Clausen revealed his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease.
Discography
- Songs in the Key of Springfield (1997)
- Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons (1999)
- Testify (2007)
- Swing Can Really Hang You Up The Most – Alf Clausen Jazz Orchestra (2003)
Induction and Legacy
Alf Clausen’s induction into the North Dakota Music Hall of Fame celebrates his exceptional contributions to film and television music. His innovative compositions, particularly for The Simpsons, have left a lasting impact on the industry, demonstrating the power of music to elevate storytelling in television and film. Clausen’s legacy as a composer, educator, and pioneer in television scoring will continue to inspire future generations of musicians.
Alf Clausen was inducted into the North Dakota Music Hall of Fame in 2023
